Directed by Ram Madhvani, action thriller Dhamaka introduces to us Kartik Aaryan 2.0 and it is, by far, his most challenging performance. After being labelled as the monolouge king, and having mostly done comedy and romance, Kartik's Arjun Pathak in Dhamaka not only shows his range as an actor but also touches upon a whole different genre and emotion. Dhamaka is loosely based on the 2013 Korean film, The Terror Live, and stars Kartik playing the role of a broadcast journalist named Arjun Pathak. He was demoted from a prime-time news anchor to an RJ but things change when he gets an exclusive interview with a terrorist right who just blew Mumbai's Sea Link bridge. What transpires thereafter, how Arjun Pathak gathers himself to be live on air amid a terror-like situation and what all goes through his mind while talking to this caller, is what keeps you engaged for 1 hour 43 minutes. The film never loses pace and keeps you on the edge right from the word go. No time is wasted in the build-up - neither for the story nor the characters. Madhvani connects with you with the tensed environment that news anchors and journalists experience while reporting a breaking news from the studio or on the crime scene. The film also stars Amruta Subhash and Mrunal Thakur in important roles.